Stop the target ship 2

Shin nosuke's Stinger, Zany's Pirate Killer, and the backup Yatagarasu were waiting in the designated space zone.

『It should already be time for the space force to make contact, according to schedule.』

「...Yes, that's right.」

Although Shinnosuke usually says little, fearing reprimand from the crew, if the Space Force contacts them as Zarny said, and immediately initiates interception, the target is just a single ship—easily captured or destroyed at once.

That way, Shinnosuke and the others wouldn’t have to do anything, and they could simply wait until the mission was canceled.

After waiting for several minutes, the situation took a turn for the worse.

The starfleet vessels deployed around the area had begun moving.

From Operations Command: Stingray, Pirate Killer, and Yatagarasu. The target vessel has broken through the fleet's encirclement. It is advancing straight toward us, evading attacks from fleet vessels without retaliating, while increasing speed. From this point, treat the vessel as a high-priority target, requiring maximum alertness. Authorization granted for immediate, unannounced destruction. Stingray and the other two vessels, proceed to intercept immediately.

Given the circumstances, it's clear the targeted vessel is planning a suicide attack on the colony.

Whether it's crewed or unmanned is unknown, but the ship is likely packed with fuel, explosives, and other materials.

It's probably carrying an enormous amount—so much so that the target should be viewed not as a ship, but as a super-sized missile.

Depending on the type of explosives and other materials carried, if the target is approaching at extreme speed, even sinking it near the final defensive line of the space fleet or escort vessels could still cause damage to the colony.

Given that the target has already broken through the space fleet's encirclement, bringing it near the colony would be far too dangerous.

Shin nosuke pushed the throttle lever forward.

"Stinger, this is understood. Closing in on the target at maximum combat speed."

The SRF-102 surged forward with full acceleration.

"Wait, Shinnosuke! If you push that hard, even if you reach the target, you won't be able to return!"

Zany was right—flying at maximum output with a combat vessel carrying minimal fuel would exhaust its supply in about an hour, leaving it stranded and unable to move.

"Yatagarasu, your master from Madeira. Commencing Stingray navigation now. As the Byreath Killer warned, you'll be unable to return if you continue at this rate. Reduce output to 60 percent."

Maderia seems to have switched with Seyla.

Maderia navigates as Shin nosuke instructed.

"No, right now our priority is engaging the enemy as quickly as possible. If we fail to sink them with the first strike, there won’t be time for follow-up attacks."

Shin nosuke pushed the unit's speed to its absolute limit.

『Got it! Even my Pirate Killer can't keep up with the combat vessel's speed. Go ahead and strike first—I'll finish them off if you miss!』

The Pirate Killer followed closely behind.

From Yatagarasu to Stinger, to Pirate Killer: Received target information. The target is a cruiser-class vessel, unidentified model according to the database. No discernible armament detected. Currently approaching at extreme speed, having evaded both the space navy's encirclement and tracking. Additionally, the majority of the space navy's attacks were dodged with minimal maneuvering before lock-on, and anti-ship missile guidance was avoided just prior to impact. We predict the target lacks offensive capabilities but possesses extreme speed, high maneuverability, and exceptional evasion abilities.

Maderia's report aligns largely with Shinosuke's predictions.

The target is a specialized vessel designed solely for ramming its objective.

Though it may appear impractical and unrealistic at first glance, when properly configured and deployed, it can deliver a significant blow to the enemy, offering excellent cost-effectiveness.

Particularly effective when used for terrorist-style operations, as in this case.

"Madeira, I'm going to deploy the anti-ship missiles I'm carrying. Give me a target point. Be precise—tolerance must be within 10 meters."

"Deploy?...Ah, I understand. My master, please avoid abstract instructions and be specific. Within ten meters tolerance—understood. Calculating point and timing. The Stinger will maintain its current course. Further acceleration is impossible, so please reduce output to 90 percent."

"Got it!"

Shin nosuke headed toward the target, following Maderia's navigation.